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The lights are much brighter there

Published at: 12 October 2017

(The lights are much brighter there)

“Things will be great when you're downtown”, a recent combined study by Oxford University and the University of Hong Kong suggests. Confounding common perceptions, the research shows that people living in higher-density areas are more active, less obese and more socially engaged than their suburban neighbors. The research also found that levels of overall human wellbeing are lower in suburban areas, as people are less active and more isolated from their communities.

The study has profound implications for city planning and local policy:

“As cities get more and more compact, they become more walkable. In denser residential areas they are better designed and more attractive destinations. We are less dependent on our cars and use public transport more,” said researcher, Chinmoy Sarkar.